Indiana Matt and the Jade Tokomon
by Dareru
Summary: Based on the brainchild of Koani and Claire Ishida...Enter the world of Dr. Indiana Matt Ishida as he goes in search of the lost Jade Tokomon before it's too late...


INDIANA MATT AND THE JADE TOKOMON  
By Dareru (furidashi@hotmail.com)  
  
Disclaimer: Warning! May contain action, adventure, mystery, suspense, yaoi, car chases, explosions, the word 'Ni!,' MSG, gunfights, and scenes from the 1930's. Not recommended for pregnant women, the elderly, people with heart problems, or people with no imagination or a closed mind. You must be at least 5" tall to go on this ride.  
  
Disclaimer #2: Digimon and all characters are property of Toei, Bandai, and Saban. Not me, some big company. I'm just writing this for fun. Indiana Matt is the property of Koani (koani@larekas.freeserve.co.uk) and Claire Ishida (ffenics@hotmail.com). He and his ladyfriend are borrowed with permission.   
  
Disclaimer #3: Mika Crystal, alias M.C., is the creator of the Council of Old Meandering Ecchis (aka C.O.M.E. - see p. 28) serving as President. Tabby, alias T.C., serving as VP.   
  
Disclaimer #4: There is no disclaimer #4.  
~~~  
  
PART 1  
  
CHAPTER 1  
  
"Professor! Professor!"  
  
The sun beat mercilessly down on Professor Jyou Kido, an archeologist of quite some renown after finding several ancient sites in what was formerly thought to be a barren wasteland. His university loved it so much that they sent him out to yet another barren wasteland to see if he could find anything there.  
  
It had been three days with not so much as a camel skull turning up at the excavation site. He was beginning to wonder if his all-expense-paid trip to the middle of a desert was all that it was cut out to be.   
  
'Well, at least I get to look forward to a nice, hot, scorpion-infested tent when we're done here.'  
  
The Professor sighed and wiped sweat from his eyes as he surveyed the dunes. He took off his glasses and polished them against his formerly white, but now sand-colored t-shirt. Everything indicated that here would be the best site to dig - a promising sound reading had found a big mass of...something underground, but after days of almost constant digging even Jyou's patience was being tested. He sighed and was about to make a comment about the idiots at the University administration when excited shouting drifted up on the hot breeze to his ears.  
  
"Professor! Professor! We've found something!"  
  
His musings were temporarily cast aside as he scrambled down into the pit. There, exposed after digging through five meters of sand, was the tip of a large, pointed building. Everyone held their breath and looked at the Professor expectantly.  
  
"All right, ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a strike," he said calmly. "Tell the mess tent to open up the packets of dehydrated ice cream and powdered champagne. We'll have a party tonight!"  
  
A cheer rose from the group.  
  
***  
  
The stars shone down on the small tent-city in the middle of nowhere. The desert air was charged with the excitement of finding something, and a battery of tests indicated that this was no ordinary something, it the sort of something that turned out to be a temple or religious building of some sort. The head of the dig project had promised a convoy of professionals would come and assist Jyou's students, while making sure the entire world knew about the new site.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen," Jyou said, holding his tin cup of reconstituted champagne up to the crowd, "today we have discovered something perhaps as important as the pyramids of Giza. Tomorrow we will go into the site and see just how big this thing is."  
  
A ripple of polite applause radiated from the audience and they collectively raised their drinking implements and toasted the short speech. Most of them were promptly upturned, as the audience promptly realized just why the demand for reconstituted champagne is nonexistent. Fortunately they could look forward to the dehydrated ice cream for afters.  
  
***  
  
Morning brought with it clouds and the promise of the first desert rains of the year. After a spartan breakfast of oatmeal, or as it turned out for many of the non-cooking-inclined, burnt oat-flavored mush, and water, the digging teams once again donned their khaki shorts and pith helmets and ventured into the now deepening and widening sand pit around the newly discovered temple.  
  
By midmorning the convoy had arrived from Cairo, which consisted of a group of six jeeps, twenty people, pickaxes, and a small electric generator to power the collection of refrigerators they packed along with them.  
  
The lead vehicle pulled up to the informally dubbed "Command Tent" where the majority of the fancy equipment, maps, and comfortable seating was. The passenger stepped out and made her way to the table.  
  
She was tall, thin, pink-haired, brown-eyed, and wore a pair of obscenely short khaki shorts and a tight denim jacket. Her hair flowed behind her wherever it peeked out from her ridiculously oversized ten-gallon cowboy hat, but that fact was tactfully overlooked by the pair of male graduate students who were now quite enthralled by her, even though they had only seen her for a handful of seconds. She smiled at them and leaned forward.  
  
"Hello, boys, is Professor Kido around?"  
  
The pair stumbled over their words in an effort to be the first to get out a sentence that would not only inform her to the Professor's whereabouts but also get her to fall in love with him. After a few seconds, the smarter of the two realized that not only would she not fall in love with him but that if he didn't say something she would never talk to him again, and blurted out, "He's in the pit!"   
  
"Thanks, boys," she said, turning and giving them a wink which melted their hearts.  
  
Her companions took to setting up the newest addition to the tent city while she went down to look for the Professor.   
  
***  
  
Jyou Kido and his intrepid group of adventurers were hopelessly lost. They had been so eager to be the first to step into the temple for goodness-knows-how-many years that no one had thought to bring their sense of direction with them. So they were now searching frantically for the way out in a confusing maze of passageways, guided by the sputtering light of a torch and a pair of flashlights.  
  
"OK, gang, I admit...we're lost." Jyou sighed.  
  
A collective sigh emanated from the group of students.  
  
"So, we have no idea where the way out is?" asked one.  
  
"Yes, I believe that's synonymous with the word 'lost,'" replied the Professor, the slightest bit of sarcasm edging into his voice. The student faded back into embarrassed silence and leaned against what she thought was a particularly nice group of hieroglyphics.   
  
Had she known how to read hieroglyphics, she would have realized that the panel she pressed said, "Press me." However, even if a user was not skilled in hieroglyph-reading, the panel would still obligingly work if pressed.  
  
She shrieked, causing the student with the torch to drop it. Sparks showered on the closest students, who happened to also have flashlights in their hands, which were also dropped as they tried to beat out their flaming socks and smoldering leg hair in the now-dark passageway. Panic broke out among the remainder of the group, which was eventually silenced by the calm, reassuring voice of the professor.  
  
"Nobody move!"  
  
The students stopped milling about, while the Professor groped around on what he hoped was the ground for the flashlights, and, finding one, flipped on the switch.  
  
"Professor Kido! In here!"  
  
***  
  
The student had fallen into a large room that contained a sarcophagus, a small wicker basket, and hundreds of statues of little men with what could easily have been (and, incidentally, were) spears. The remainder of the group filed slowly in to the chamber.  
  
"Excellent work, Hikari!" said the Professor, gazing around the room, "Your decision to lean on a certain wall panel has found us the burial chamber." He grinned. "You get an A for the week."  
  
Professor Kido instructed his students to try and find the way back while he would stay behind and examine the room with the help of the student, Hikari Kamiya.   
  
"For once, I commend you on taking a break during class," mumbled Jyou, examining the sarcophagus meticulously. He carefully stepped over a clay warrior statue while Hikari took photographs of the room with her trusty sand-proof camera.  
  
"This is amazing!" she said, snapping anything and everything that caught her attention. "Who'd have thought that I would be able to help the world-famous Professor Kido discover some dead guy's lost tomb! And then be the one to accidentally find the...oops!"  
  
She didn't realize that she was walking into the basket, as the camera had temporarily taken up all of her concentration. With a shout of dismay her body came crashing down on it, causing much of the wicker to crumble into dust. She managed to save herself and the camera from any physical harm, but she lay cringing in the dust expecting a series of verbal assaults from the Professor. When nothing came out, she opened one eye and looked at him.  
  
He was staring at the contents of the basket in utter disbelief.  
  
"Hikari, once again you have unexpectedly turned up a miracle! Do you know what that is?"  
  
She sat up, rubbing her knee, and peered into the basket.  
  
"It looks...kinda like a little pig."  
  
Jyou laughed a dry professorial laugh. "Not quite...It's the fabled Jade Tokomon. There have been rumors of its existence passed down among the desert nomads, but it was said to have been buried with the last of the pharaohs. Do you know what this means?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"It means that we'll be getting a lot of unwanted attention very shortly." Jyou helped Hikari up and together they marveled at what could possibly be the most valuable piece of rock in existence.  
  
***  
  
Mimi Tachikawa, the strawberry-haired, cowboy-hat-wearing convoy leader, was extremely interested in finding the Professor. She had been trying to locate him for the past three hours ever since word of the secret room had leaked out. It was, however, a very frustrating procedure, as the people at the dig site seemed more interested in talking to the students who had actually been in the site. Eventually she plopped down on a sand dune and decided to sit and wait for Professor Kido to exit the temple with whatever he found, fanning herself with her outrageously large hat while doing so.   
  
Her patience was eventually rewarded as the Professor and one of his female students exited the temple carrying something that looked about the size of a soccer ball. She squinted her eyes against the bright sun and, even at that distance, knew immediately what the object was. She didn't even need to talk to him now.  
  
She trudged her way back to her Range Rover and picked up the cell phone, dialing the number of her supervisor. The phone rang once, twice, and finally someone picked it up.  
  
"Yes?"   
  
Mimi smiled as she heard the familiar rasp. "It's here."  
  
"The Jade Tokomon?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well then, you must..."  
  
"Yes, I know full well what I'm being paid for."  
  
A humorless laugh from the other end. "Good, then I needn't remind you of your purpose there, Miss Tachikawa. I look forward to seeing it in my hands before the week is out."  
~~~  
CHAPTER 2  
  
The excavation of the temple was now progressing steadily, but everyone knew that the most valuable part was already discovered - the Jade Tokomon. The dig now carried an air of sadness, as they knew the pristine site would soon be invaded by a horde of journalists, sightseers, and people who could afford the trip to see a big stone building sticking up out of the sand. Once they left, they could expect grave robbers, or even worse, prospective developers that would build an amusement park of some sort around the site.   
  
The thought was more than enough to trouble Professor Kido, but for now his thoughts were entirely on getting the Jade Tokomon home to study it. At that moment, the most valuable sculpture in the world was serving duty as a paperweight for the masses of forms Jyou had to fill out before the customs agents would even think about letting it out of the country. He sighed and blinked back sleep - a night of paperwork after a semi-enjoyable day of excavating. There was only one thing that he hated more than filling out red tape, and those were the bureaucrats that made it so that he had to fill it out in the first place.  
  
He was about to start on another form when he realized his smattering of Arabic was not going to be nearly enough to complete it.  
  
"Better call it a night..."  
  
He slid the form into the formidable pile that he still had to finish and took off his glasses for a moment, rubbing his eyes.   
  
"Professor Kido?"  
  
He jumped in his chair, a bit startled by the voice that suddenly came out of nowhere. He didn't recognize it, so he supposed it must have been one of the newcomers. Putting his glasses back on, he saw the pink-haired Mimi Tachikawa standing as seductively as one can stand in front of him, and a tall, muscular, brute-looking fellow next to her. He coughed and offered his hand. She shook it, batting her eyes at the Professor flirtatiously. Mimi knew that very few men could resist her charms for a long time, and she also knew that Jyou was not one of those few. After getting acquainted with the Professor, she sat on his desk.  
  
"I was sent here to make sure that any discovery didn't fall into the wrong hands. I suppose you could call me the security chief. This thing you have found," she said, running her hand over the curves of the small jade figure, "is extremely valuable. There are many people who want it."  
  
She leaned in toward Jyou's ear.  
  
"I'm here to make sure no on else gets it."  
  
Had Jyou been fully awake he might have caught the look that passed between Mimi and her assistant, but as it was he could barely keep his eyes open.  
  
"Listen, Miss..."  
  
"Tachikawa."  
  
"Tachikawa. I'm sorry I'm not much of a conversationalist at 1 AM, but I have been filling out paperwork for the last 5 hours, and I have a feeling that if we talk any more I will fall asleep at my desk. I have a feeling that tomorrow the press will be here and that I will be up all night again doing interviews, so if you don't mind, I'd like to go to bed now."  
  
"Oh, Professor, I'm sorry. You really should get your rest now."  
  
She winked. The Professor was puzzled as to why she would wink at him; later, he would find out that the wink was really a signal to her assistant to use his sleeper hold on the unsuspecting professor, but for now he was content to fall to the floor unconscious in a small heap.  
  
"Perfect work, Ahmed," she said, regarding her assistant, who merely grunted. "Assemble the group and let's get out of here. The boss will be very pleased."   
  
She picked up the Jade Tokomon and tucked it under one arm, and, turning as she left, planted a kiss on the Professor's forehead. "I'm sorry things didn't work out, Professor Kido, but we have to make sure this little fella won't get stolen by anyone." She laughed. "Anyone else, that is."  
  
***  
  
Less than ten minutes later, the camp was suddenly thrown into wakefulness by the roar of six diesel engines roaring to life, and those that got up to investigate were greeted with a cloud of sand and exhaust fumes.  
  
Hikari found the Professor in the main tent and brought him back to wakefulness. The first and only thing he noticed was the absence of his paperweight.  
  
The Jade Tokomon was gone!  
  
~~~  
  
CHAPTER 3  
  
"Archeology Department, Professor Ishida's Office, can I help you?"  
  
Tai Kamiya brushed his hair out of his eyes and applied a second coat of lipstick to his mouth. It was a slow day in the Archeology Department of Tokyo University, just like most others.  
  
"No, I'm sorry, this isn't the Council of old Meandering...hey, who is this anyway?"  
  
He sighed and put down the phone, fidgeting with his trademark blue sweater and skirt. Everyone in the University was well-versed in Tai's crossdressing habit, but admittedly it was one of the more mundane eccentricities among the staff; for example, one of the medical professors had a small freezer in his room where he kept a frozen cadaver, the head of the philosophy department would fail anyone who agreed with his theories, and all four of the astrophysics teachers were in their own barbershop quartette.   
  
The phone rang, and Tai sighed once again. The last time he had gotten two calls in one day was when someone's speed-dialing function was stuck on that number.  
  
"Archeology Department, Professor Ishida's Office, can I help you?"  
  
"Is the Professor around? This is an emergency." The voice on the other end sounded familiar to Tai, but he couldn't quite place it.  
  
"He's giving a lecture right now, he should be back..." Tai suddenly remembered the voice. "Jyou, is that you? It's Tai!"  
  
"Hi, Tai, can you get Matt? It's extremely urgent. Tell him that we've found the Jade Tokomon. He'll know what you're talking about."  
  
"All right. I'll get him right away."  
  
Tai slipped into his heels and went out to find his boss.  
  
"Indiana" Matt Ishida was the youngest professor at the school. He was dubbed "Indiana" by his "lady friend" Tai for reasons which are too long to detail in this story. They were both friends of Professor Kido's ever since they were little kids, but whereas Tai became a successful professional football player who went into early retirement and supplemented his income with the occasional ad and the assistant's job at the University, Matt traveled with Jyou to his most successful dig, after which he received an honorary archeology degree. Matt continued his rock group on the side, and was a local celebrity in the Tokyo area.   
  
Matt was giving a lecture on ancient Roman architecture when Tai burst into the room.  
  
"...As a direct result of the Goth's complete destruction of most of the Roman Empire, Roman architecture went into a decline. There will be test over this next Thursday, ladies and gentlemen, so keep studying." He looked up and saw Tai. "Well, hello, Tai. Class, this is my...er, secretary, Tai Kamiya. What's up?"   
  
"Matt. Jyou's on the phone in your office. Says it's important...something about a Jade Tokomon?"  
  
Matt's eyes widened. "You mean, the Jade Tokomon?" Without waiting for a response he ran out the door and made a beeline for his office.  
  
"Jyou! It's Matt!"  
  
"Matt...glad to hear from you."  
  
"What's the matter? You sound like you're on the verge of tears, Jyou."  
  
Jyou coughed into the phone and cleared his throat. "Well, no more than any other guy who JUST HAD THE JADE TOKOMON STOLEN FROM UNDER HIS NOSE!!!"  
  
Matt almost dropped the handset because of the violent outburst. "What? You mean, you found it and then it was stolen? By who?"  
  
Jyou dropped his voice to an urgent whisper. "Some...woman who said she was supposed to protect it. Matt, if anyone finds out about this my career will be ruined. I need your help!"   
  
"Why me?"  
  
"Because I think you knew the thief at one point. Does the name Mimi Tachikawa ring a bell?"  
  
Matt's face turned into one of shock. Mimi Tachikawa was his assistant, who had mysteriously left the day after getting a phone call from the United States government. They had never heard from her again. She had been one of the most well-versed people in ancient artifacts, especially the valuable ones.  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"I'll have a guide meet you at the airport. Oh yes, and when you do come down bring extra tires. Mimi and her flunkies seemed to have slashed all of our tires as a going-away present."  
  
"All right. See you tomorrow, Jyou."  
  
"Okay. And Matt...thanks a lot."  
  
"No problem." Matt hung up the phone and turned to face Tai. "Well, Tai, looks like we're headed to Egypt. Better get packed. Oh, and, tell my class that since I'm going to Egypt for a few days their test will be pushed back to Friday."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~*~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
PART 2  
  
CHAPTER 4  
  
"Nice place," remarked Matt off-handedly as he and Tai stepped off of their DC-3 and into the Cairo airport.  
  
The airport atmosphere could best be summed up in one word: chaos. People walked, jogged, and ran in every direction, trying to make their flights, buy tickets or control their screaming kids and generally not having much luck doing it. Merchants and businessmen peddled their wares loudly, declaiming the benefits of this, that or the other thing. Large, heavyset Arabs toting formidable-looking guns trooped about the premises, while the occasional British officer barked orders at them.   
  
"Where were we supposed to meet that guide Jyou sent?" shouted Matt.  
  
Tai looked at him with a puzzled look on his face and pointed to his ear.  
  
"I said, where were we...oh, never mind, come on!" Matt grabbed Tai by the hand and led him outside. "Where are we supposed to meet that guide?"  
  
"Oh...uh...I think it was in the..." Tai fumbled around in the pockets of his jacket. "Hang on, I have it in here, I know I do..."  
  
"Dr. Ishida?"  
  
A rather short, red-haired man in a business suit offered his hand to the pair.   
  
"My name is Koushiro Izumi...Izzy to my friends and colleagues, I'm the project director for Professor Kido. He advised me that you may be needing some directions to the dig site, if I recall correctly." He indicated a pair of waiting jeeps. "If you are ready, we may set off right away."  
  
"Right down to business, eh? My kind of guy. By the way, this is my...er...secretary, I suppose, Tai Kamiya," said Matt, indicating Tai, who curtsied. "Let's roll, Mr. Izumi."  
  
As the two jeeps left the city and bounced across the dunes, Izzy turned to Matt and Tai and shouted over the roar of the engines.  
  
"Jyou tells me that the temple he discovered contains the burial chamber of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, but that its outer design is almost exactly the same as six other buildings' - they're located in the United States, France, Japan, Brazil, South Africa, and India. In each of the previous temples, there has been one figurine buried in the same chamber as its occupant. All of the temples indicate that there are eight of these figures."  
  
"So what?" asked Tai, trying in vain to keep his hair from flapping all over the place. "What's so important about these figures?"  
  
"I don't know," replied Izzy, smiling grimly. "Money, power, it's anyone's guess. The only thing that the temple inscriptions say is to never let the eight figures be brought together."  
  
"But with this finding, there are only seven," observed Matt.   
  
"Well...seven confirmed ones. There are also rumors from very reputable sources that a very rich and influential businessman has discovered an eighth temple in China."  
  
"And I suppose you'd want me to go and investigate it?" asked Matt.  
  
"Dr. Ishida, the University is willing to make a substantial investment in your department should you choose to take up this task."  
  
"All in the name of science, eh?" Matt grinned as his adventurous side got the better of him. "I reluctantly accept, in that case."  
  
Izzy merely nodded. "Very good then. We're here."  
  
The temple was almost fully excavated, and the amount of residents of the tent-city had greatly increased. The sea of white canvas now included journalists, cameramen, sightseers, researchers, students, and even a detachment of the British army. As the jeeps sputtered to a halt at the camp's outskirts, Professor Kido and a small horde of reporters went out to greet them.  
  
"Matt, Izzy, Tai, glad to see you," said the Professor. "Ladies and gentlemen, the renowned Dr. Matt Ishida."  
  
The reporters oohed and aahed and the cameramen vied for position to take pictures of Matt, clad in his familiar khaki pants, beat-up leather jacket and trademark snap-brimmed hat.   
  
"Matt, you made it just in time. They're starting to want to see the Jade Tokomon," whispered Jyou. "I told them that it's still being cleaned."  
  
"Ahh. And they believe you?"  
  
"They're journalists, they don't know any better. I promise!"  
  
That night, Jyou circulated pictures of the Jade Tokomon that the snap-happy Hikari (Tai's younger sister) had taken when it was still in their possession. For the time being, it was enough to slake the ravening appetite of the press for the thing, and the journalists left Jyou alone for one night.  
  
Around a flickering oil lamp and a makeshift desk, Jyou, Matt, Izzy, Tai and Hikari (Tai's younger sister) gathered to discuss just how to get the Jade Tokomon back into the University's hands.   
  
"I'm afraid I have bad news, ladies and gentlemen," said Izzy. "The National Museum in Washington has just been broken into, where thieves stole the Silver Gabumon from right under the American government's nose." He stared at the group. "This means that none of the other artifacts are safe. The Smithsonian is easily the most guarded museum of the six that carry the rest of the artifacts. If you're going to do something, you'd better hurry, Dr. Ishida."  
  
Matt nodded. "So, what do we know?"  
  
Tai tossed a file folder onto the makeshift table. "This is the businessman, Ken Ichijouji. He's the one who's reportedly found the eighth temple." A picture and several documents spilled out of the folder. "I did some research on him today. He's the kind of guy who will pat you on the back with one hand while reaching into your wallet with the other - a real shady character. Ken owns the most lucrative espionage and military technology company in the world. He's got enough money to buy up all of the United States and still make a down payment on Japan, so he's got more than enough to finance the excavation of a site and hire people to steal other artifacts. He's our man."  
  
Izzy flipped through the documents. "It says that his company's headquarters are located in Wuhan, China."  
  
"Well then, tomorrow we go to China," said Matt, a mischievous grin playing over his mouth, "and we'll get you back your precious little pig."  
  
***  
  
For the second time in as many days Matt and Tai found themselves in the bustling Cairo airport. The few open ticket counters were inundated with customers, but Izzy led the pair right past them and straight to the Egypt Airways office. He knocked on the door.  
  
"Er...hello?"  
  
A heavy-set man in a black pinstripe suit sat catnapping at the desk, and didn't even bother to open one of his eyes to see who it was bothering his noontime nap. He spoke in a heavy English drawl.  
  
"Sorry, gentlemen, this desk is off-limits to customers. If you have a formal complaint, I suggest you take it up with the management." He sniffed boredly. "Good day."  
  
Izzy gave his companions a broad wink and slammed his fists down on the desk, causing the Englishman to jump.  
  
"Do you have any idea who you're speaking to? This is Dr. "Indiana" Matt Ishida from the University of Tokyo, the world-famous archeologist! I seriously suggest, Mister...er..." He glanced at the nameplate on the desk. "...Weber, that if you wish to keep your head attached to your shoulders you let him aboard the next plane leaving for Beijing, NOW!"  
  
Weber jumped to his feet, thoroughly chagrined. "My apologies, Mr. Ishida...I wasn't aware that we had such an...esteemed individual in our presence!" He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his face. "Please, right this way. Where did you say you were going to?"  
  
Matt and Tai laughed, and waved their goodbyes to Izzy as they walked behind Weber. In less than an hour they were aboard an old, dilapidated DC-3 that was barely in flying condition. Matt flopped down into his seat, waiting for Tai do to the same.  
  
"Hey, what's the matter?"  
  
"Well, um..." Tai pulled at the neck of his sweater. "I really...dislike flying...and this plane isn't really helping matters."  
  
Matt chuckled. "It won't be that bad, I promise."  
  
Tai laughed nervously as well, buckling himself into the seat as, outside, the plane's engines coughed into life. He reached for Matt's hand and grabbed it until his knuckles were white. Matt looked at him and then laughed again.  
  
"You wake me up if you need anything, all right?"  
  
He tipped his hat down over his eyes and was asleep within minutes.  
  
~~~  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
Matt muttered something in his sleep, then tried to turn over when his head slipped and hit Tai's shoulder. He woke up with a start.  
  
"Oww! Son of a..."  
  
Tai turned to face him, only slightly more relaxed now. "About time you woke up. We're here."  
  
Matt grinned at him and picked up his hat, which had slipped off of his face earlier. "Perfect timing, as usual. How you holding up?"  
  
"Not much better," Tai replied, eyeing Matt darkly. "I will never get on a plane again if I can help it."  
  
"Suit yourself, but you're going to have to get back to Japan somehow."  
  
"I'll swim if I have to."  
  
The co-pilot stepped out of the cockpit and called for everyone's attention.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching the Beijing airport now. Please remain in your seats until the plane comes to a complete stop. Thank you for flying Egypt Airlines."  
  
***  
  
Not much can be said about the Beijing airport, except this: it made the Cairo airport look efficient.  
  
Matt and Tai jostled their way through the crowd, trying to find the way out, or at the very least a taxi, but after a half hour of futilely searching they gave up and collapsed onto a bench.  
  
"Well, this is futile," they both said at the same time. Tai leaned against their bags and stared into the sea of people when he saw something in the crowd and sat bolt upright.  
  
"Hey, Matt...what does that Mimi girl look like? Pink-hair, did you say?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"I see her, way over there, in the sunglasses and khaki overcoat." He pointed, and Matt strained to see but couldn't make her out in the crowd.   
  
Matt's mind raced. "All right, Tai, here's the plan. Follow her, and don't let her out of your sight. Izzy's made hotel arrangements...I'll meet you here," he said, handing Tai a piece of paper, "in the lobby at 10. Got that?" Tai nodded, and Matt winked at him. "All right then, see you tonight."  
  
Matt watched Tai make his way through the crowd and start following Mimi. He was about to start the search for a taxi when he felt a hand in his back pocket, angling for his wallet. Coolly, he pretended not to notice, then reached back suddenly and caught the arm before it could withdraw.  
  
"Nice try, kid," said Matt. He turned to face the owner of the arm.  
  
It was a blond youth, wearing a woolen gray jacket over a tattered khaki shirt, and a pair of old, beat-up blue jeans with a few small holes scattered throughout them. On his head he sported a New York Yankees baseball cap, which he took off and made a bow to Matt with. Matt laughed at the would-be robber, who simply smiled back at him and indicated his arm, speaking around a mouthful of bubble gum.  
  
"Thank you. Would you mind giving my arm back?"  
  
"Let's make a deal, hmm? You tell me where to find a guide to Hankou and I'll give it back to you."  
  
The boy bobbed his head eagerly and pointed to himself. "Already found one...me!"  
  
Matt raised an eyebrow. "You?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
Matt shook his head. "Sorry, but I mean someone who knows what he's doing."  
  
The boy nodded again. "Sure, I know what I'm doing. Born and raised in Wuchang. My parents died in a weapons plant explosion. So I come down here, make a living picking pockets."  
  
Matt broke into laughter. He actually liked the little thief. "I noticed. What's your name?"  
  
"My name's TK, but everyone calls me Short Round."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Short Round," said Matt. "My name's Matt, but you can call me Indy. I guess I could use a bodyguard and a guide for this job. Now comes the test...do you know where the Imperial Hotel is?"  
  
Short Round nodded and blew a bubble with his gum. "Sure, easy." With a laugh he set off, weaving his way expertly through the crowd, leaving Matt hard-pressed to follow.  
  
***  
  
Following a pink-haired girl in a human sea is not so easy as it seems, even if your name is Tai Kamiya.   
  
It didn't help that Mimi felt she was being followed. All of Tai's senses had to be focused on his quarry, and more than once he lost her for a brief second before she resurfaced almost out of his sight.   
  
Tai was finally gaining ground on her after following her around the airport for a good length of time. He edged ever closer, sometimes having to shove people out of the way or climb over their baggage, eliciting angry yells from some of them. He merely waved an apology and continued following Mimi.  
  
However, a porter carrying a fully loaded baggage cart proved suddenly swerved in front of Tai and he had to stop or be run over. When the cart finally passed, Mimi was gone. He swore under his breath and walked forward through the crowd, when a door opened in front of him; a pair of hands fastened to his mouth and waist and pulled him inside, and then he could feel a knife pressing up against his throat. As the door closed, he heard a voice whisper in his ear.  
  
"If you value your life, don't move."  
  
***  
  
Matt and Short Round arrived at the Imperial Hotel promptly at 9:30, where he got a room and checked for Tai, and then for any messages. Failing to find either, he and Short Round allowed themselves to be guided to their rooms by a porter.   
  
"So, what do you know about the Ichijouji weapons company, Shorty?" inquired Matt.  
  
"Why? You planning on trying to steal something from him?" asked Short Round, blowing a bubble casually.  
  
"Yeah," Matt remarked.  
  
Short Round's bubble popped and got gum all over his face. He tried to wipe it off as best he could while speaking around it. "You're crazy." He peered at Matt, whose bullwhip was slung off of his belt. "Or brave."  
  
"A little bit of both, maybe, but more crazy than brave." He flashed Short Round a smile.  
  
The porter stopped and opened the door. "Your rooms, sirs."  
  
Matt opened his wallet and pulled out a small wad of bills. The porter's eyes bulged as Matt pushed the bills into his hand, and he bowed and thanked Matt profusely.  
  
Short Round whistled and chewed his gum reflectively as he walked into the room. It was the biggest room he had ever seen. Two huge beds sat in the middle of one wall, covered in fine quilts and complete with down pillows. Opposite the beds was a huge mirror, surrounded by an ornate gold-and-bone carving of a pair of dragons, whose open mouths doubled as lamps. A brand-new radio stood in a corner, while opposite it was an ancient grandfather clock. The lush burgundy carpeting was partially concealed by a trio of fine Oriental rugs.  
  
Matt slung his bags onto one of the large, luxurious beds and flopped down on the other one, bouncing up and down on the springy mattress, giggling.  
  
"Nice place. I should move in here sometime."  
  
Short Round sat on the next bed, watching his newfound idol's every move and trying to imitate some, even tipping his baseball cap over his eyes and lying back.  
  
"So, what now, Indy?"  
  
"Now, we wait for Tai."  
  
***  
  
The grandfather clock in the corner just struck ten o'clock when the phone in the hotel room rang. Matt and Short Round had fallen asleep, and the former regarded the phone groggily for a few seconds before he picked it up.  
  
"Hello? Dr. Matt Ishida speaking."  
  
"Hello, Dr. Ishida," replied a decidedly masculine voice. "I seem to have run into your...partner. If you want to see him again, meet us at 'The Dragon' nightclub in half an hour, and bring plenty of money."  
  
Matt sat up with a start. "Who is this?"  
  
The voice on the other end laughed. "I'll find you, Dr. Ishida." Then it hung up, and so did Matt.  
  
Short Round looked over at him. "What's the matter, Indy?"  
  
"Where's 'The Dragon' nightclub?"  
  
~~~  
CHAPTER 6  
  
The Dragon was the sultriest nightclub a person could find in Beijing if they weren't looking for a brothel. The dining area was smoky and full of couples that intently watched the action on the main stage while the club's orchestra wailed behind the vocals.  
  
A chorus line of beautiful girls, wearing tight, scanty clothes, began singing a slow, haunting melody as a huge paper-mache dragon head was pushed onto the stage from behind the curtains; a column of smoke issued from its nostrils and out of its mouth walked the star of the show, a beautiful red-haired girl with a radiant silk dress, singing her sultry solo to the applauding crowd.   
  
Matt looked decidedly uncomfortable in the tuxedo he decided to wear for the occasion. He tugged at his collar for a few moments. Short Round sat beside him, completely enthralled by the show on-stage.   
  
From a side door a big nest of brown hair caught Matt's eye, and he turned to see Tai, physically all right, but he realized that the situation was temporary as he saw a gun poking into the small of Tai's back, held by a stereotypical henchman - tall, heavyset, ugly, and only just smart enough to know how to use a gun. A dark-skinned, purple-haired, goateed man led the group. As they advanced toward Matt, the show on stage ended, and people broke out into wild applause and cheering.  
  
"Short Round, listen carefully," whispered Matt. "I want you to get a car, taxi, anything and have it out front in 2 minutes. Got that?"  
  
Short Round nodded and scampered off to find a ride. Meanwhile, the solemn procession weaved its way through the tables and eventually the leader sat directly across from Matt.  
  
"Dr. Ishida, I presume?" Matt nodded. "My name is Daisuke Motomiya. I own this bar, and am a close...friend of the owner of the Ichijouji Weapons Company. Ken wishes to tell you that he is very disappointed an archeologist of your renown would try and follow one of his people rather than asking him straight to his face to see any of his newly acquired property. He wishes to give you a warning never to pry in his business again..." To prove his point he had one of his men open a switchblade and hold it to Tai's neck. A bead of sweat trickled down Tai's forehead as his eyes stared at the metal hovering ominously not an inch away from his jugular.  
  
At that moment the redheaded singer sauntered up to them, unaware of the charged atmosphere at the table.   
  
"Hiya, Daisuke, what'd'you think of tonight's show?"  
  
"What? Er...oh. Marvelous, Sora, you were absolutely stunning."  
  
"Hey, who's the cute fella in the tux?" she asked, looking at Matt.  
  
In reply, he grabbed her around the waist and whipped out his own knife. Sora started to give a scream that was abruptly ended by Matt's covering her mouth and holding his knife to her throat. Daisuke was utterly shocked by this sudden move, but outwardly remained calm, even giving Matt a cool smile.  
  
"Now, now, Dr. Ishida, there's no need for..."  
  
"Shut up," snapped Matt. "I suggest you hand Tai over right now or your beauty will be squealing a different tune very shortly."  
  
Daisuke glared daggers at Matt. "Dr. Ishida, nothing will be gained by this action."  
  
"No?" said Matt. "If I lose my partner, you're losing your number-one moneymaker, and I seriously doubt you'd want that."  
  
"Very well, Dr. Ishida," breathed Daisuke. "We will release your friend if you release my employee."  
  
"On three, then," agreed Matt.  
  
"One..."  
  
"Two..."  
  
"Three."  
  
The henchman removed his knife and shoved Tai none too gently forward. Matt did the same for Sora. Daisuke got up to leave with his henchmen, then turned on his heel and addressed Matt and Tai.  
  
"One more thing, gentlemen. Mr. Ichijouji instructed me to give you a warning never to interfere with his business again. I suggest you follow it."  
  
It was about that time that Matt noticed that Daisuke's thugs were wielding a pair of Thompson machine guns, and as Daisuke finished his sentence and walked off they raised them up. Frantically, he searched for anything to buy some time.  
  
Salvation came in the form of a waiter with a skewer of ducks flamb‚ that were just about to be lit on fire. Thinking quickly, he snatched up the skewer as they caught on fire and tossed it towards the henchmen, while grabbing Sora's arm with the other. Amid the angry shouts of Daisuke's goons and the squeals of protest from the terrified Sora, Matt and Tai, dragging Sora behind, dashed for the entrance.  
  
"What the hell are you dragging me into this for?" demanded Sora as part of her dress caught on something and ripped off.   
  
Matt didn't turn to address her, intent on keeping his head forward. "Insurance, baby doll. I figure that you're a big star round here, so your boss wouldn't risk pumping you full of hot lead." Finding their way blocked by a second band of armed guards, Matt and Tai ducked behind the bar and scanned the area frantically for another way out. They dragged Sora down with them just as the area above their heads was suddenly filled with bullets.   
  
"What now?" asked Tai. Matt dearly wished he had brought his bullwhip with him, and was about to say so when his hand made contact with a rope that was hanging behind the bar. It was the only thing supporting a large gong right above their heads.  
  
"Tai...I have an idea," shouted Matt over the hail of gunfire. "On three, I'm going to make this gong fall down. Get behind it and start running with it!"  
  
He waited for Tai's nod of acknowledgement, and closed his eyes. "Three!"  
  
With a loud, low boom the gong crashed to the floor and began rolling towards the door. Matt and Tai crouched down so they were completely hidden behind it, making sure to drag along poor Sora, whose objections were drowned out by the musical ping of bullets on the heavy gong. Eventually the three made it out the door, the exact same time as a Duesenberg raced around the corner.  
  
"Get in!"  
  
Tai and Sora were shoved into the back seat, and Matt jumped onto the rear bumper as the car sped off, leaving behind a group of very angry men. Sora breathed a sigh of relief, which was immediately cut short as she saw who was driving the car.  
  
"Pleased to meet you, my name's Takeru, but everyone calls me Short Round."  
  
She fainted with a small whimper, much to the amusement of Matt. "Hey, Shorty, you never said you could drive."  
  
The kid nodded. "Sure, Indy, I learned to drive as a little kid. You rest easy now, you're in Short Round's capable hands."  
  
Matt clambered over the back seat and sat between Tai and the fainted Sora.  
  
"Take us home, Shorty."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~*~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
PART 3  
  
CHAPTER 7  
  
Sora groaned as she felt drops of something cold and wet splashing her face. She opened her eyes to see Short Round, holding a cup of ice water over her. She gently pushed him away and sat up.   
  
"Well, well, the star of the show is up," said a grinning Matt, lounging on the other bed with Tai. "How you feeling, Miss...er..."  
  
"Sora," she said. "Sora Takenouchi. Who the hell are you, and why am I here?"  
  
Matt stood up. "My name's Dr. Matt Ishida, 'Indy' to my friends, but you can call me that too. I'm taking a trip up to the Ichijouji Weapons Company tomorrow morning. Apparently the welcoming committee already caught up with me."  
  
"You mean, you and your...girlfriend, and this kid are going to try and do something to Ken Ichijouji?" She laughed. "You're nuts."  
  
"No, we already covered this, I'm Matt, and this is Tai, and that's Short Round."  
  
She gave a mirthless laugh. "So, you're a comedian? Well then, what are you going to do in Wuchang?"  
  
Short Round spoke up for Matt. "We're going to get back the Jade Tokomon and all the other stuff that Ken stole!"  
  
At the mention of the relic, Sora's eyes widened. "You mean, the Jade Tokomon? Possibly the most valuable piece of rock in the whole world?"  
  
"Whoa there, since when are you an archeology expert?" said Matt.  
  
"I'm not. But I do like to know when rare and valuable artifacts make their way into this country." She stared at Matt. "So, you're gonna try and steal the Jade Tokomon from Ken, huh? And, what are you gonna get out of this? Fame? Fortune?"  
  
Matt grinned. "A grant for the archeology department, and maybe a little column in National Geographic. Oh, yes, and maybe, just a little bit of worldwide recognition. But only a little bit. You wouldn't be interested."  
  
"Too late, you piqued my curiosity," said Sora.  
  
"Not so fast, there," interjected Matt. "We don't want you getting in the way. If we get into trouble..."  
  
Sora reached down into her bra and pulled out a Luger pistol. "If I get into trouble this little fella will make sure I get out of it."  
  
Tai laughed a little bit.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
Tai opened his suitcase; in it was a Tommy gun. "If we get into trouble, Miss Takenouchi," he said, a little superior smirk on his face, "that'll be about as useful as a peashooter. This baby is our insurance policy."  
  
Matt sat back down on the bed, turning out the lights. "You're welcome to spend the night, Sora, but we leave bright and early tomorrow morning, so you should get your beauty sleep now. Oh, and I'm sure you won't mind letting Short Round have his bed back."  
  
Short Round smiled and climbed onto the bed. In a few minutes, he was fast asleep, unconsciously cuddling with Sora.   
  
She spent the rest of the night on the floor.  
  
***  
  
"Wake up, Miss Sora," said a voice, accompanied by gentle shaking.   
  
"Go 'way, it's not even light out," she whined, digging her head into her pillow.   
  
Crack!  
  
Sora awoke with a start, the bullwhip coming so close to her head she could feel the air move.   
  
"I'm up, I'm up!" she said. "Jeez, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"  
  
"Come on, we'll be late for our appointment."  
  
Matt cut quite a figure in his usual outfit - leather jacket, khaki pants, leather boots, trademark snap-brimmed hat - and the bullwhip coiled off of his belt added an aura of danger about him. Tai wore a dark blue blazer, a knee-length skirt, and a pair of high-heels, which contrasted jarringly with the Tommy gun case slung over his shoulder; in addition, he sported a pair of goggles clamped loosely over his agglomeration of hair. Short Round had on, as usual, his Yankees baseball cap, sweater, and jeans, looking as if he just stepped out of the Bronx.  
  
"Nice day for a little archeological espionage, don't you think? Be down in 5 minutes, or we're leaving without you," said Matt, as he walked out the door, the other two in tow.  
  
She grumbled about not having makeup and a clean dress. Before he closed the door, Tai poked his head in.  
  
"My makeup's in my purse. I think have everything but lipstick. Traveling light, you know." He winked at her and shut the door.  
  
~~~  
  
CHAPTER 8  
  
The way to Wuchan was relatively uneventful. Sora tried to sleep as best she could as the sedan bounced along the dusty, undeveloped roads, Matt drove, and Tai tried to teach Short Round how to play poker. After a few hours, though, Tai gave up because Short Round kept beating him.  
  
"All right, ladies and gentlemen," announced Matt as he brought their car to a stop, "welcome to Wuchan."  
  
The city looked every inch like it was industrial. A thick layer of smog obscured most of the city center, where the factories were, and almost every building had a layer of soot or ash clinging to its walls and roof. Even at the outskirts the air was choking and polluted.   
  
"Wow...does it always smell like this, Short Round?" asked Tai, rolling up his window with one hand while plugging his nose with the other.  
  
"No," he replied, "it's usually worse. Today most of the factories are closed for the holiday."  
  
"All except Ken's, I bet," said Matt.  
  
"All except Ken's," confirmed Short Round. "So, what's the plan, Indy?"  
  
"Easy. We say we just flew in from the US and we're here to help at the excavation. I bet we can walk right through the gates."  
  
Surprisingly, it was easy. The guards let them into the headquarters compound and gave them a map of the building. Matt parked their car and they walked through the corridors, eventually finding their destination. Inside the small, windowless room was a frail-looking old man at a desk, who looked as if he was waiting for someone or something. As the four of them entered, he smiled and inquired as to what their business was.  
  
"We're here to help at the excavation. We're from the United States," said Matt confidently.  
  
The old man dug through his paperwork, peering over his thick glasses. "Er...ahh, yes. Yes. We've been expecting you. Please, have a seat, and I'll get you on track right away." He indicated four chairs in the corner of the room and scurried out.  
  
Matt and company sat down in the chairs and waited.   
  
Suddenly the lights went out, and the four of them barely had time to leap out of their chairs before they were knocked unconscious.  
  
***  
  
Matt was the first to come to, and he immediately wished he hadn't. He was in the heart of the weapons plant, suspended by a loading hook about 10 meters from a vat of molten steel. Not only that, he was tied to the other four, minus his whip, jacket and hat, with about as much hope for escape as a lobster in a restaurant tank.  
  
He closed his eyes and tried to free his hands, but just succeeded in causing the hook to sway back and forth enough to convince him that it would be best to stop moving. As the rope came to a halt, he felt the person next to him stir, but before he could see who it was, a harsh peal of laughter echoed throughout the room.   
  
"So glad you could join us, Dr. Ishida."  
  
Standing at the rail of a nearby catwalk was a young man in a dark business suit, backed by a pair of massive thugs with menacing scowls and equally menacing guns. There was no question in Matt's mind - it was Ken Ichijouji. Standing at his side was Mimi Tachikawa, the relic hunter, dressed in a slinky black leather dress which made her vibrant pink hair stand out even more. Matt glanced wildly around the room, and spied Daisuke Motomiya, complete with a cast and several burn marks on his face, standing ready to lower the unfortunate quartet into a pool of red-hot liquid metal. Ken smirked as he saw Matt struggle against his bonds.  
  
"As you can see, it's not much in the way of a torture room, but for now it'll have to do. I'd love to stay here and watch my archeological competition go down in flames, but I have a dig to supervise. Sorry it's not going to be quick and painless. Good day, Dr. Ishida. Try not to scream too loud."  
  
He laughed and spun on his heel, walking out of the factory with his two goons following.  
  
"I'm going to enjoy this," spat Daisuke, pressing a button on the control panel. The chain suspending the four lurched, then began to lower. Tai's goggles slid off of his head and landed in the burning vat below, catching fire before sinking into the liquid with a hiss. "You nearly burnt down my entire club, stole my star attraction, ruined my family's heirloom gong and almost had me killed. Death is too good for you." He chuckled, staring intently as the distance between them and the steaming metal decreased.  
  
By that point the heat from was becoming almost unbearable, and sweat began pouring down everyone's face. Sora began whimpering, and Tai's hand fished around for a moment before finding Matt's.  
  
"Is this going to be...it?" whispered Tai.  
  
"I don't know...but I don't think we're licked yet," said Matt. "Look."  
  
Occupied as Daisuke was with watching Matt and company get ever closer to their demise, he didn't see Mimi sneak up behind him. Before he knew what hit him, she delivered a series of blows to the back of his neck and he slid back from the railing, out cold. She sniffed contemptuously and stepped over his prostrate form, pressing the button to stop their descent with barely a meter between the soles of their shoes and the bubbling molten metal. All four of them sighed with relief.  
  
***  
  
With Mimi's help, the four managed to untie themselves and get onto the catwalk safe and sound. They glanced at Mimi, still unsure whether to trust her or not as they wiped the sweat off of their faces. Finally, Matt decided to ask the question running through all of their minds.  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
"Because I'm not really one of Ken's flunkies," replied Mimi. "I work for the US Government. We knew that he was planning something, just not exactly what he was doing, so I was ordered to infiltrate his 'inner circle' and find out what was going on. Now that I know...well...I can't take him on by myself. I need your help."  
  
"Sounds like a plan. What do want from us, then?"  
  
She laughed. "You get the dirty work. Twenty miles away from here, in the jungle, is a temple almost identical to the one your Professor Kido found in Egypt and the other ones, only this one is much bigger. This place has to be where they were meant to be brought together. Inside is the eighth and final artifact - the only one that Ken doesn't possess yet."  
  
"But," interrupted Tai, "what happens when Ken gets the eighth one?"  
  
"Government research says that if the eight are ever brought into room and placed a certain way, they'll open a gateway to another world, or dimension, or something. It's all a bit fuzzy to me, actually, but the general consensus is not to let him get that far in the first place."  
  
"So all we have to do is somehow sneak into his heavily-guarded dig site, get past hundreds of gun-toting maniacs, and somehow get all eight of these relics?"  
  
"Not quite. All you have to do is sneak into his dig site, get past the hundreds of gun-toting maniacs, and just snatch one of these things. That way, he can't get all eight in the same place, and the government will have enough evidence to crack down on him and his goons. You up to it?"  
  
Matt grinned. "As always."  
  
"Great. Here's a map of the site. I'll keep Ken's security off your back, just get down to the site quick." She turned and walked away. "Oh, one more thing..."  
  
She looked over her shoulder and tossed a set of keys to Matt. "Your sedan won't be much good in the jungle. Try this. It's parked on space J7 in the back lot. Good luck."  
  
The new set of wheels ended up being a large jeep with a brand new machine gun mounted on the back. Matt whistled as he saw it.  
  
"Awright...let's take this baby for a test drive."  
  
~~~  
  
CHAPTER 9  
  
An hour later, Matt, Tai, Short Round and Sora parked on the edge, watching the hundreds of scurrying people work in and around the jungle-covered temple from a hilltop.  
  
"Explain to me how we sneak into the temple, again?" asked Sora.  
  
"Very carefully, and with a lot of luck," replied Matt. "After all, we wouldn't stand a change if we tried to muscle our way in there. Short Round?"  
  
"Here, Indy!"  
  
"I want you to stay here, and the second we get in, get us out of here. You do remember how to drive."  
  
He grinned and nodded, pushing his cap bill-backwards. "Yep. You just give me the word and we'll be out of here in no time."  
  
"Great. All right, you two," Matt said, looking at Sora and the machine-gun-toting Tai, "Let's get us back a Tokomon."  
  
***  
  
"Hiya, boys, mind giving a lost gal a hand?"  
  
The two guards were rather surprised that a lone woman in a beat-up nightgown would show up this far from civilization. They both looked at each other, shrugged, and were about to go over and help when the stock of a Tommy gun and the handle of a bullwhip knocked them out.  
  
Matt and Tai looked at each other and grinned.  
  
"Not so bad, was it?"  
  
"Well," said Tai, laughing, "I did break a nail...but otherwise I'm good."  
  
"Perfect timing," said Matt. "I think they're all on break or something. They're all going somewhere..."  
  
His good luck was cut short when he realized that they were all going inside the temple, where the Jade Tokomon surely was. He swore under his breath - their task just got that much harder.  
  
"Well," said Sora, "We might as well do as everyone else. At least now we're not as suspicious-looking."  
  
The three of them walked into the temple with bated breath, trying to force their way to the front of the crowd, and eventually they shoved, elbowed, prodded, and squeezed their way into the heart of the temple.  
  
At the center of the temple was a huge chamber with a raised altar towering over the rest of the room. Standing at the altar were Ken and a small band of his bodyguards. Each of the seven guards had one relic - the only missing piece was the Jade Tokomon.  
  
"How are we gonna get that hunk of rock back?" asked Sora.  
  
"I have a plan. Listen carefully."  
  
***  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time since ancient times these seven relics are being brought together." Ken paused for a moment, his dramatic flair temporarily getting the best of him. He watched, smiling, as the seven guards set charges onto the altar.   
  
The first one was put into place. Nothing happened.  
  
The second one was put into place. Nothing happened.  
  
The third one was put into place. Nothing happened. An expectant hush fell over the crowd, and no one really noticed three people edging their way ever closer to the altar.  
  
The fourth one was put into place. This time, there was a quiet clicking sound, and then the four began to hum. A murmur broke out in the crowd as Ken motioned for the fifth to be laid down.  
  
The fifth one was put into place. Now all five started to glow faintly, as if some unknown force was powering them.  
  
The sixth one was put into place. The humming intensified, and the glow was very palpable.  
  
The seventh one was put into place. Arcs of energy leaped between the seven artifacts, and a ring started to form, slowly growing larger and brighter.  
  
Ken motioned for the Jade Tokomon to be brought forward.  
  
"Now, my faithful employees, watch, and you will see a sight that has been closed to man's eyes for over ten thousand years!"  
  
"Not so fast, Ken!"  
  
Matt, Tai and Sora decided that now was the time to make their move. Immediately Tai began firing indiscriminately at the altar from behind a stone column, being sure not to hit the artifacts. The crowd panicked and started scattering, while the bodyguards, unsure of what to do, looked for any available cover to return fire.  
  
But Ken was not to be interrupted this close from achieving his goal. His eyes blazing, he carefully lowered the Jade Tokomon into place a fraction of a second before Matt tackled him around the legs.  
  
Immediately a huge flash filled the room, and a massive bolt of lightning struck the altar, and a huge gateway began to open in the center of the ring.  
  
"You can't stop me now, Ishida!" laughed Ken as he wrestled with Matt. "You're too late!"  
  
"We'll see about that," countered Matt. He delivered a pair of blows to Ken's stomach before getting kneed in the gut and hit in the face. The two combatants broke apart for a moment, circling, then Ken dove for Matt's midsection, and again they went down. This time Ken forced Matt's shoulder in contact with one of the sputtering relics. Matt cried out in pain as the electricity burned, and his leather jacket began to smoke as it was exposed to the raw energy. With a great effort he shot out both of his legs and Ken flew off.  
  
Matt picked himself off of the ground and was about to make a move when a huge shadow fell over him. One of Ken's bodyguards was about to put him in a stranglehold when a bullet from Tai's gun hit him in the thigh and he went down, clutching at it. But as Matt refocused his attention to Ken, he realized that he was now staring down the barrel of a dangerous-looking weapon.   
  
Before Ken could blink Matt's whip wrapped around his wrist, tearing the gun from his grasp while reeling him in like a fish. Matt kneed Ken in the groin and figured that now was a good time to run for it before the situation got any worse. He ran for the artifacts and was about to reach for the Jade Tokomon when he realized that if he tried to touch it, it would burn him like it had earlier. He swept the whip tightly about the Jade Tokomon and pulled. To his relief it shot backwards, breaking the circle. The ring of energy began to fade, and the portal instantly closed. Ken howled in dismay and tried to get up, but the pain from Matt's groin shot was too much and he collapsed back onto the ground. Quickly, Matt tore off his shirt and wrapped it around the Jade Tokomon, making sure no remaining electricity had the chance to come in contact with his exposed hands, and ran for it.  
  
"Come on, you two, let's get outta here!"  
  
Tai squeezed off his last few rounds before following Matt and Sora out. The three shot out of the temple like a trio of bats out of hell, the remaining bodyguards running after them, trading shots with Tai. They clambered their way through jungle, dodging people who were trying to get out of the way of the shirtless archeologist, vocalist-turned-bandit, and their gun-toting, dress-wearing accomplice.  
  
"Gun it, Shorty!" shouted Matt as he leaped into the passenger seat, followed by Tai and Sora.  
  
"Okie doke, Indy!"   
  
Short Round peeled out into the road and floored the pedal, throwing all four of them against the back of their seats. Behind them, a trio of jeeps, bristling with armed guards, pulled out and began to close the distance between them  
  
"Look!" screamed Sora, pointing to their pursuers.  
  
"Tai!" shouted Matt.  
  
"Already on it!" came the reply. Tai got up, steadying himself against the mounted machine gun, and began trying to figure the monster out. In the meantime, bullets began whizzing past his the car, a handful even hitting the back. Sora ducked down behind the seat while Matt held on gamely, and Short Round concentrated on driving the car, his little frame not really exposed to the gunfire anyway.  
  
After a while Tai figured out how the thing worked and he fired back at the approaching cars, riddling the engine of the rear car full of holes. It immediately dropped back, its passengers screaming obscenities and waving their weapons in the air.  
  
Tai began gamely trading fire with the second car, trying to avoid being hit while also aiming his big, bulky weapon. A bullet grazed his dress and another made a furrow through his hair. Finally Tai got off a good shot that shattered the windshield of the car, and the driver swerved off the road and landed in a patch of ferns.  
  
Only one more jeep trailed theirs, but by the time Tai realized this he also realized he was out of ammo. He swore under his breath, when suddenly it hit him.  
  
He reached down the front of Sora's dress.  
  
"Hey!" she squealed. "Watch it! For chrissake, I'm not that kinda girl!"  
  
Tai came up with the baby Luger she kept hidden. "Neither am I," he replied, and with a few accurate shots took out the tires of the remaining car. The four of them sighed with relief. Safe at last.  
  
~~~  
  
CHAPTER 10  
  
"...and now we have enough evidence to put Ken Ichijouji behind bars for a long time. I'd like to congratulate you and your associates, Dr. Ishida. You've done the world a great service."  
  
It had been a few days since Matt, Tai, Sora and Short Round had taken the Jade Tokomon from under Ken's nose, and at the request of Mimi Tachikawa had had it returned to the United States, with them accompanying it. Now Matt, Tai, and Professor Kido, all of them rested, were in a meeting in the Pentagon with a trio of bureaucrats and military brass, both of the professors deeply dissatisfied with the results of the discussion but, nevertheless, forced to accept it.  
  
"I trust that you have found the settlement agreeable?" asked one of the officers.  
  
"Yes," replied Matt. "Er...when can we study the Tokomon, and the other artifacts? They are quite powerful relics."  
  
"Not to worry, Dr. Ishida, we have top men working on it in a very safe location."  
  
"Who?" demanded Professor Kido.  
  
"Top men."  
  
Jyou sighed and leaned back in his chair. Trying to get information out of the Pentagon was like trying to strain water from a rock.   
  
"If you would like our help," began Matt.  
  
"We won't hesitate to call you. Thank you, again, gentlemen. Good day."  
  
Irritated, Matt and Jyou walked out of the building, Tai clinging to Matt's arm.  
  
"Matt," said Tai, "they're never gonna call you, so instead of getting steamed about it, why don't you forget about the Tokomon and think about something else?"  
  
"Oh yeah," replied Matt, "like what?"  
  
Tai made a face, then reached over and planted a kiss on Matt's mouth that went on for a while.  
  
"Like that."  
  
"Well," said Matt, a smile gradually spreading across his face, "I guess it'll have to do."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~*~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
THE END  
  
  
  
  



End file.
